Ladder donation is ‘a real step forward’

The ladder donation to Building Heroes supports its work with military veterans, helping them carry out their courses with new equipment that would be used on building sites

Published:10:47Saturday 15 April 2017

Building Heroes, a charity dedicated to helping military veterans by presenting opportunities in the construction industry, has been given a range of equipment by WernerCo, the UK’s leading manufacturer of ladders.

The donation will help the charity, based at the Brinsbury campus of Chichester College, run a range of courses that will give ex-soldiers training and employment opportunities.

These kinds of opportunities might otherwise have been difficult to come by, due to barriers such as financial circumstances, lack of awareness or lack of experience.

The donation from WernerCo includes stepladders, work platforms, fibreglass ladders, extension ladders and stepstools.

Brendan Williams, chief dxecutive of Building Heroes, said: “Thanks to WernerCo’s donation, we can provide our veterans with a much better service, one that is both safe and hands-on.

“We rely completely on donations and to receive one consisting of such high-quality resources, it’s a real step forward. We are aiming to have 1,000 graduates by 2020, thanks to companies like WernerCo, this is all the more achievable.

“We try to provide visual, aural or kinaesthetic learning experiences wherever possible. If veterans are able to use access equipment correctly, it can bring a real learning and employment opportunity to fruition. We are very grateful to WernerCo for facilitating this kind of learning.”

Government figures show around 20,000 personnel leave the armed forces each year and the shortage in workers for the building industry means this booming sector is an ideal fit for veterans.

Nick Platt, managing director at WernerCo, said: “We understand the importance of providing those in the industry with full and thorough training in order to ensure safety at all times.

“We believe the work done by Building Heroes is invaluable in providing veterans with such training, and so it’s only natural that we ensure this training continues to be available.”

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